


In Sickness and In Health

by YourCandleOnTheWater



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Childhood Friends, Cooking, F/M, Roommates, Shallura Secret Santa 2018, Sickfic, Whump
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 08:45:44
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,165
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17158886
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/YourCandleOnTheWater/pseuds/YourCandleOnTheWater
Summary: Shiro's sick, and Allura's going to make sure he feels better.





	In Sickness and In Health

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Val_Creative](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Val_Creative/gifts).



> This is for nooowestayandgetcaught on Tumblr as part of Shallura Secret Santa! Please leave some kudos and comments, and enjoy!

If Allura had to describe her best friend in one word, it would be “determined.” Ever since they first met in daycare, she could see that once Takashi Shirogane put his mind into it, nothing could stop him.

This was why it pained her to see him like this- stuck in bed, wheezing and fighting to breathe. His forehead was clammy with sweat, and, based on the last temperature reading just Allura took, he still had a fever of 101 degrees Fahrenheit. Shiro opened his eyes wide at the realization that Allura was in his room. It concerned her that the man’s eyes were still glassy. 

 

“Good morning,” she softly greeted, arranging the bed sheets around his form.

“Hi Princess,” Shiro rasped in reply. Allura tried to hide a smile as she helped him sit up. She had moved his prosthetic arm away the night before, when she noticed her friend looking less than well, and with his illness it would have been difficult for him to get up on his own.

“You haven’t called me that since 7th grade,” she remarked.

“After all the bossing around I’ve had to take from you, I’m surprised it hasn’t come out earlier.”

Allura chuckled at that and flushed, feeling a bit guilty. Despite their history and friendship, they both found the transition from living on their own to living together difficult. Shiro used to live with his squadron in a military-consigned dorm. He acted like a natural leader and older brother to his teammates, so many of his errands had been divided among their team of 6. Allura, on the other hand, had been living alone since her sophomore year of college. Her father helped her get an apartment near the hospital where she did her clinicals, and she had been living in the place ever since. Having Shiro stay with her took some adjusting, and she did tend to get bossy when stressed.

“It’s time for your medicine,” she announced in a sing-song manner. She offered the pills and a glass of water to the man.

“You’re making me take horse pills again, ‘Lura? Can’t you give me something I can actually swallow?”

Allura placed the water by the bedstand and firmly grasped Shiro’s left hand, which was way too warm and slick with sweat. “The only pills that I have that are smaller are for kids. Now please take the meds before I’m forced to pry your mouth open.”

Shiro held in a groan and obediently took the pills. He gulped the water down in seconds before handing the glass back to her.

“I’ll make some soup for you in a bit. Go get some rest,” she said. Shiro let out a laugh that quickly devolved into a coughing fit. Allura gently patted his back as he tried to gain his composure. She then helped him lie down on the bed.

“And here you are bossing me around again.”

Allura moved towards the door. “Doctor’s orders, Shiro. I’ll check in later.”

“Of course, thanks Doc.”

Allura closed the door and walked to the kitchen. She took out a few ingredients from the fridge and started cutting. In the meantime, she also boiled water in an electric kettle.

To Allura, cooking dinner was a time for her mind to wander, something she couldn’t afford doing at the clinic. With sick children accompanied by anxious - and sometimes nagging- parents, stress became a default emotion for the pediatrician. She needed her cooking routine in order to stay sane.

Having Shiro around now made cooking at home even more fun. They revisited memories they made together as kids and swapped stories from their time after high school. Allura had went on several dates with men and women her age ever since she was sixteen. Shiro was in a steady- -albeit secret- relationship with another member of his squadron. Shiro once casually told her over spaghetti how the guy, Adam, was a loving partner, but he had disagreed on Shiro taking the flight that eventually caused him to lose his arm. As her best friend, Allura still doesn’t know if she would react the same way.

The kettle finished boiling the water. She poured the water into a pot and added stock powder, green onion, garlic, ginger, and chicken. After letting the chicken cook and skimming off the foam, Allura added the rice and the remaining seasonings. When she was done, the doctor ladled the porridge into a bowl. She placed the bowl and a glass of water on a tray and brought the meal to Shiro’s room. Allura knocked before entering.

Shiro was shivering in his slumber, but the sheets were sticking to his form. The doctor laid the tray down onto the nightstand and rested her hand against his forehead. He was still warm, but the shivering indicated his body was fighting the disease. Allura gently shook him awake.

“Hey, I made dinner.”

Shiro groggily nodded. “Help me up please?”

“Of course.”

Allura propped her friend against the headboard. She sat on the edge of the bed and brought the tray to Shiro’s lap.

“I can feed you, if you’d like,” Allura offered, “You’re probably still exhausted.”

Shiro shook his head. “You’ve done enough for me already, Princess, though your company would be appreciated.”

Allura nodded in agreement and watched the pilot bring a spoonful of rice gruel into his mouth. Shiro gave a small smile at the taste of the porridge, one that soon was reflected in his friend’s face.

“This tastes exactly like how Kaa-chan would make it,” he complimented.

“I sure hope it does. She’s the one who taught it to me back in high school. It prevented me from subsisting on ramen noodles all the time in college.”

Shiro gave a thoughtful hum before shoveling another spoonful into his mouth. Allura watched him finish the bowl before handing him the glass of water. When he was done, she wiped off any food with a tissue and placed the tray on the nightstand.

“Allura?”

She didn’t miss the wistful tone in the man’s voice. “Yes Shiro?”

“Thank you.”

She waved it off. “No need to thank me. I know you would do the same if I were sick.”

“It’s not just this,” he asserted, “Ever since I moved him, you’ve helped me out so much. You saw how hard it’s been since losing the arm and getting the prosthetic, but despite your bossiness, you never lost patience with me.”

Allura waved it off, “It’s really not a problem. When it comes to patience, you’re the better teacher.”

Shiro reached out to grab her hand. It was still warm to the touch, but his grip was firm. The determination Allura saw in his eyes reminded her of their childhood.

“When I get better, can I take you out to dinner?” Shiro asked.

Allura smiled and give his hand a soft squeeze. She wondered if Shiro can feel her temperature matching his. “I’d like that. Now rest.”


End file.
